What started as a frantic, high-profile search for an 11-year-old autistic boy from Marion ended in a courtroom Thursday, when a Marion County jury found Bradford Deem guilty of kidnapping after the child was taken from his home and later found in Indiana. The boy, identified as Gavin Ostrander, has since been reunited with his family, and Deem remains behind bars while he waits to be sentenced.
Guilty Verdict And Next Steps
Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan said in a Facebook post that a Marion County jury found 45-year-old Bradford Deem guilty of kidnapping. Sentencing has been scheduled before Judge Matthew P. Frericks. Grogan’s office said assistant prosecutors John Scott and Heath Findley led the case and that the state will ask for a lengthy prison term.
How The Boy Was Found
The ordeal began on July 10, 2025, when the boy went missing overnight from a Marion residence. According to Marion County Now, investigators followed tips and leads that crossed state lines to Veedersburg, Indiana, where officers ultimately located the child and arrested Deem. Local station WKTN reported that the boy had last been seen in the area of Congress Street before he disappeared.
Investigation And Evidence
In a Facebook post, Grogan said detectives pulled camera footage and tracked digital communications that led them from Marion to Deem’s Indiana home. Prosecutors credited a coordinated effort by the Marion Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Fountain County Sheriff’s Department, the FBI, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. That combined work, officials said, was key both to finding the child safely and to building the case that jurors weighed this week.
What Comes Next
Deem remains in jail as he awaits the sentencing hearing before Judge Frericks. The child’s parents have publicly thanked investigators and asked officials to keep sharing accurate information about their son, while urging other parents to stay alert about who their children meet online. Upcoming court filings are expected to spell out the specific penalties the prosecutor’s office will seek when Deem returns to court for sentencing.
